During the second training session for Les Bleus on Wednesday, Fabien Galthié and his staff again used Moefana in the center, Roumat in the third row and Mauvaka at heel.
In Marcoussis
The trend continues. Yoram Moefana, who returned to Marcoussis at the start of the week, trained with a starting jersey again this Wednesday in Marcoussis during the French national team’s training session. This should lead to experienced Gaël Fickou (a first since the 2019 Tournament and a 24-19 home defeat to Wales) being relegated to the bench for the first of the three matches on the November tour, against Japan on Saturday. Moefana (24, 28 caps) is expected to partner Émilien Gailleton (21, 3 caps), who trained with the probable starters last week during the first Bleus training sessions.
UBB’s versatile three-quarter – initially suspended for three weeks after a dangerous tackle on Rochelais’ Jonathan Danty – is finally requalified for the first test against the Brave Blossoms after a one-week reduction in his sanction, after taking part in the dangerous tackle awareness workshop set up by World Rugby. Moefana is “a player who has good speed, who is capable of playing. He doesn’t just bring us his power, explained Laurent Sempéré, France’s forwards coach.
Fabien Galthié’s other strong choice concerns third-bowler Alexandre Roumat, who should be preferred to another “premium” player, Toulon’s Charles Ollivon. “We’re working with a group of 42 and we don’t necessarily take anything else into account. We look at the form of the moment, what the player can give us, what’s best for the team. That’s what prevails among the staff, but also among the players, explained Laurent Sempéré.
Preferred to Matthieu Jalibert from Bordeaux, Thomas Ramos from Toulouse, the usual fullback, trained again at openside, partnered by his club teammate Antoine Dupont, who is making his comeback with Les Bleus. In the front row, with the experienced Uini Atonio still too fit after a calf injury (he didn’t train on Wednesday), Bayonne’s young right-row prop Tevita Tatafu (22), of Tongan origin but finally eligible for France, is set to honor his first cap with the French national team. At heel, Peato Mauvaka should well and truly be preferred to his Toulouse team-mate Julien Marchand, if the game of chasubles is anything to go by.
The probable starting XV against Japan :
Barré – Penaud, Gailleton, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey – (o) Ramos, (m) Dupont (cap) – Roumat, Alldritt , Cros – Meafou, Flament – Tatafu, Mauvaka, Gros.